Weekly Taxol group
Comments
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Nicole: very hard to decide - after first dd tx my fingertips went numb, second toes, third pads of feet. I don't know what may come next from last tx but it def has me worrying because of permanency that I read a lot of people claiming. What if it is whole hand? I want to be cancer free but taking last dose doesn't guarantee that either- will be thinking lots this week. I told MO from beginning about se's and they didn't say anything about supplements until last fu, vit b complex and alpha lipoic acid.
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Does the nausea seem to be as bad in taxol as it was in the AC treatments, for those who have done both?
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EmilysMom - I had absolutely no nausea on taxol. That is the plus side of taxol.
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EmilysMom: No nausea at all from Taxol.
I am glad (well, not really!) to hear of others having issues with neuropathy. It is reducing my fear to see that my experience is not terribly unique. Plus knowing that some of you had dosages reduced gives me some hope my MO will do the same with the dose dense. I do not want to switch to weekly because I don't want to be done with chemo.
My nail beds are really uncomfortable. On a positive note: DH did a lot of the house cleaning today because I kept ramming fingers into things and uttering expletives.
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Skigirl and Paula, thank you for the information on pre meds!
Wish everybody a great weekend and minimum SEs!0 -
Njlane ~ My naturopath also suggested adding in alpha lipoic acid, though she told me that you CANNOT take this one within 48 h of chemo administration. It's a strong antioxidant, and will also really support the liver's health, so you're better able to finish the scheduled regimen as prescribed.
Wishing us both luck with a hard decision!
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Greetings! I appreciate all of the posts here - very helpful information!
First Taxol and Herceptin on Thursday went well - although it was a long day. I had an echocardiogram first (part of the clinical trial protocol is an echo every 3 months), then blood draw, then MO visit, then about four hours sitting in the burgundy lounger hooked up to various drip lines
. My anxiety was manageable - the Benadryl helped, I think, although I didn't fall asleep like the gentleman next to me. So one down and 11 to go... or 5 to go before my daughter arrives in May for a visit! My fingertips and right big toe started feeling sensitive while I was on AC - and now my left big toe is tender as well. I'm hoping that the B vitamins will help me through the treatments. I noticed that some are taking magnesium as well - is that for neuropathy?
Nicole - I hope that you recover as well as Mariasnow. You've taken good care of yourself throughout your treatment so far and seem to be very in tune with your body. I hope that your last Taxol doesn't exacerbate what you're experiencing so far. I've spoken with two people who had noticeable neuropathy that went away within weeks after chemo was over.ywheels, Sounds like you're on the mend, but take good care of yourself between now and Wednesday!
I hope that all of you have a peaceful weekend - Martha
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Ok, less than 40 hrs till starting taxol and only one trip to target moving up now. Aside from vitamin b6 and b12, what are the essential items to have for se's?
I am not looking or ward to this neuropathy, although from what I know, the weekly treatment is somewhat less intense on that se? Agreement there, or misperception?
What is up with icing one's hands/feet... Is that for neuro symptoms or for nail issues?
Ideas for nail issues?
Thanks....
C
Happy Easter and Passover!0 -
Sorteria: how are your eyebrows and lashes? I still have mine post AC#4 and start 1/4 Taxol on Wed.
Martha: Thanks and I will do my best to take care of myself.
Happy Easter all and for those who don't celebrate, happy Sunday!0 -
After 8 weeks of AC and six doses of Taxol, my wife had her seventh cancelled. She has an infection in her reconstructed area that is not good, so the onc and surgeon agreed to cancel the seventh. So what are the chances that they will just cancel the last 6 doses, as the onc said that the most important chemo was the AC? She was doing well with the first 4 doses, but things have gotten pretty rough lately, with alot of SE.
She had stage 2, triple negative, with bilateral mast. in early November.
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Eric~~Was she on weekly Taxol? I've found it to be so much easier, but seeing as she's already had 6, I'm guessing she was getting weekly.
Is there a chance that they just wanted to give her an extra week for her system to regroup? They do that fairly often when the WBC is low. (Skip or postpone a treatment).
As for me, I wouldn't want to chance canceling all the treatments. I want to throw everything I can at this beast.
Blessings to you both
Paula0 -
Emily's Mom - I took and still take 30grams of L-glutatmine per day. Get the powder - not capsules. 30 grams is a much bigger dose than it says on the jar - but it is easy to take. I iced for both neuropathy and nail issues - but more so for the neuropathy.
ywheels - I had my brows up until this past week (3 weeks post taxol) - I am now 4 weeks post taxol and still have my eye lashes. It can take some time for the brows and lashes to go, but I have heard that they always go - but the good thing is that they grow back fast - at least I hope they do.
Zorina - I had excruciating pain in the nail beds of my thumbs and pointer fingers - but it didn't last long at all. Just a couple of weeks after each treatment. I never got any pain in the other three fingers at all. I also got pain in the large toe nails but it was only after the first taxol.
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Adagio: even after finishing your tx's you still lost them? Oh that hurts! How many Taxol did you have? Brows I hope I can handle because they are fairly easy to 'draw' in, but lashes....I guess if they fall out after tx, I will get false ones until they come back. My nurse said she has had a few patients who did not lose them but even she said that was rare. Ugh...For some reason, the thought of losing my lashes is harder than losing my hair.
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Mareluna,I was told to take 100mg. of B-6 three times a day to prevent neuropathy. Am hoping that will work. I suppose we all have different side effects from these drugs. I also receive Herceptin with the Taxol. I understand that the effect will be cumulative as the weeks go by. I was also told to use baking soda and salt to rinse and that combination does help with the sores. Am just so tired but not as miserable as with the AC, thank God.
Thanks for responding back to my question pertaining to the leg pain.
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Ywheels~~I still have my brows, though they are definitely thinner. I never had many lower lashes to begin with. I always used liner for the illusion. My brows were never bushy, so I've only had them tweezed a couple times in my life. I always wanted to have them arched, and now, with just a bit of brow pencil they look like I had them done professionally. But, if they do all go, I'll know how to fake them pretty easily.
Blessings
Paula0 -
Adagio - I wish I had been lucky as you. Yesterday the nails were really painful. I am glad it is warm enough to be sandal weather here or I wouldn't have been able to leave the house. I put some ice on them last night, and it felt good. Maybe it even made them feel better today. I'll try a round of it again tonight. It cannot hurt if it feels good, right?
YWheels - I still have brows (mostly blonde that cannot be seen at any time!) and lashes despite four A/C and two Taxol. My lashes had thinned, but seem to be thickening now. I have fewer bald spots on my head, so it does feel like I have more hair even though it is just stubble. If you kept those lashes and brows during A/C, then you may have a decent chance of keeping them through Taxol, so don't sweat it too much. I think you will prove that nurse wrong!
Has anyone else noticed tooth sensitivity? My teeth seem to recoil at anything that is remotely chilled. Heat causes no problem, though.
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ywheels - I share your sentiment about the lashes - I will find it more devastating than the hair loss. I am most definitely keeping my fingers crossed. I am 4 weeks past my last infusion of taxol - the lashes are still here.
Zorina - I believe that icing helps the nail issues. I often held ice on my fingers and my toes in between treatments to ease the pain. I did some gardening today, and even though I wore gardening gloves, I got dirt inside my fingernails and they really started to throb. Now that you mention it I did get pain in my teeth but it was sporadic and never lasted long at all.
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Getting ready for #1 of 12. I am ready to start the final battles...
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Ski girl, I am presently in infusion for 1/12.... It will be interesting to compare notes with u as we r exactly day for day thesame.
They give Benadryl here at my MOs office... And my body reacts to EVERYTHING....
Of course, it reacted to Benadryl. Duh to my body.
Hang I there,ski girl.... Seems so far much easier than AC.....
They didn't give as much nausea meds,Lu's I am on sancuso patch for nausea, so I am looking forward to hoping I am NOT nauseous..... Hoping, hoping.
Springs slowly coming out here ingrained rapids,Michigan.... Cold but sunny enough.
Soon we can sit outside..... But not soon enough.
I have other fish to fry,though.
Good luck today... Post when to can,to lotus know how it went. I am more than halfway done with mine.
Can't wait to do the final celebrations.
Just want to be done!!!!,
Peace....
C0 -
So I got 25mg of benadryl and I have no idea how much dex. I was pretty hammered with the benadryl so I really didn't care about much after that!! No reaction to the taxol. Just sleepy from all the other stuff... Taxol #1 is officially over. Now for a flush... then I get to go home.
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Same here but since I react to even Tylenol negatively, they gave me fifty of Benadryl. Out.
Didn't have reaction either.
We are both 1/12 down! Hooray!
PEACE0 -
Glad you both did not have any reactions.
I have surgery in morning. Goodbye ovaries and tubes...Almost done...
Reaching the finish line soon.
Kickin cancer's sorry butt!
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Thanks Paula and adagio: I hope my lashes/brow stay. Taxol #1/4 is Wednesday.
Skigirl: On the road to being done. You go girl!
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Skigirl and EmilysMom, Glad to hear that you are done with Taxol #1!
My MO prescribed Dexamethasone and asked me to take 5 tablets (20mg) twice before my first Taxol. Hope my first Taxol next week will be uneventful as well.
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Skigirl~~I only got the pre-meds for the first 2 Taxol. The nurse stayed right with me for the first 10 minutes. They say if you have a reaction, it happens within 5-8 minutes. After those 2, I haven't gotten anymore pre-meds. I love it! I hated the Benadryl/steroid mix.
May you could ask them about skipping pre-meds after #2. They've done studies, so they know, if there's no reaction the first 2 treatments, then there won't be any.
Blessings
Paula0 -
She was saying something like that. I was pretty sleepy and not speaking clearly so I will ask her about that again next week BEFORE she drugs me. LOL I am not having a problem so far with the dex. I didn't have to take any before today and it was only a little vial. no bag. I don't have any prescribed meds to take, but, I still have the compazine if I need it. They said I would feel like I have the mild flu without a fever in a few days. They really didn't make a big deal about any nasty SEs. They said people do really well on this. And as I was leaving, the nurse thanked me for not having a reaction to Taxol. LOL I said your welcome.
EmilysMom- Glad your #1 went well. I would have been drooling on myself if they gave me 50mg. I was a mess on 25mg. LOL
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Soteria, when u say pre.meds, do u include meds for nausea as well....?
Do u just take the actual taxol, or so u do a nausea med with it?
Curious. Not having any nausea so far.... Glorious day!
Glad it worked for you!!!!
BCFREE2013, what family is thedexameth in? Is it like a Benadryl?
Ywheels, way to go on getting in the road for number one. Will bet hiking of u onwednesday. U can do it. We are all behind u.
Ps.... Is that pic of your hair from during chemo or right before? Mind sharing?m if not, that's ok.
Mareluna.... Godspeed and good luck on your surgery in the morning. Another step closer to the end of thehardpart of the journey. Hang in there girl.
Peace and healing to everyone,
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Mareluna - good luck with your surgery tomorrow. You are almost at the finish line!
Re eyebrows/lashes - I never lost my eyebrows at all (I only had weekly Taxol, no AC). I lost lower lashes on one eye, but didn't even notice until I saw the new stubs that were all one length (and one long hanger-on).
I had pre-meds each time (only in the IV, none that I had to take in pill form). I did get my MO to cut the steroid in half after the first 2 or 3 infusions, which helped with the sleep issues. Otherwise, none of the pre-meds bothered me.
Emilysmom, I don't think nausea on Taxol is very common at all, so hopefully you will not have any problems.
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Mareluna, our hearts are with you as you face your surgery. May God be with you and may you recover your total health.
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Emilysmom~~Dex (Decadron) is a steroid.
When I was getting AC, I got 2 pills each of Zophran & Decadron, and a small IV bag of Emend just before chemo infusion. I was given compazine to take at home as needed, and took decadron on days 2, 3, & 4 after chemo. I have never opened the compazine as I've never had any nausea. Thank God!
Some people (rarely) have a reaction to taxol. Sudden onset of back pain, flushed face, severe headache, and difficulty breathing. That's just during the first 2 treatments. The nurses stay right with you and have epi-pens and a whole emergency kit if needed. It usually isn't needed.
My only SEs from Taxol so far are minor joint pain that comes & goes over a couple days, loss of taste for a day or 2, and tiredness, but nothing compared to AC.
I'm amazed at how much better I feel.
I hope I answered all your questions. If there's anything else, I'm here for you.
Blessings
Paula0
